Alaisdair Dewar profile

Overall this is a sequel worth of the Lorien legacies, offering more insight into the Lorien world and characters, while adding and mixing the story telling around to create a new kind of novel, this is an engaging story that stands out as one of the best sci-fi novels I have ever read.

I Am Number Four breaks new ground in fantasy/alien/sci-fi fiction and while aimed at a young adult audience, all ages will find something here. The story is gripping and addictive and with enchanting characters that evoke empathy and understanding it is hard not to fall in love with this universe.

Most people get presents on their sixteenth birthday. Percy Jackson gets a prophecy that could save or destroy the world. That's how it is when you're the son of Poseidon, God of the Sea. According to an ancient prophecy, bad things will happen when he turns sixteen - because he's the one who gets to decide the fate of the entire world. Kronos, Lord of the Titans, is beginning his attack on New York City, where Mount Olympus stands virtually unguarded. And the dreaded monster Typhon is also heading his way so it's Percy and forty of his demigod friends versus untold evil…

On a crisp autumn morning, in his cottage in the idyllic land of the Vale, Mr. Edward T. Cozzlebottom composed the following letter for his secret love, the graceful and lovely Mizz Ezmerelda Wimbish. "Dear Mizz Wimbish, Confessions are something to admire. Don't you agree? Far more confessors, of the subtle variety, would make this world a place more agreeable for all. It is in this spirit that I concoct this missive and subtle confession. I have been taken with you for some number of years. I notice that you are quite fond of roses, as am I. Given our mutual interests, and the proximity of our lives, I think it is time for us to meet fate halfway and talk of things that affect us both. We could discuss your roses, or my books, or any matter that concerns you. There are many seemingly quiet things that happen on our very street that I think could fill an evening, if not a lifetime. If my suggestion intrigues you, I will meet you beyond the honeysuckle on the far side of Embry Lane by the fourth gaslight. I will be there Wednesday just before the lamplighter arrives. I encourage you to consider my offer, as it is filled with gravity. Most sincerely and with the respect due to a lady of your type, Edward T. Cozzlebottom. P.S. If it rains, bring an umbrella." Though these two lonely souls occupy homes separated by a matter of feet and inches, they soon discover that it will take many miles of treacherous travel before they can master the short distance between their hearts and doors. Each one goes on a separate journey that takes them from the startling beauty of the Many Mirrored Way to the blackest woods of the Great Dorianic Forest. Along the way, they encounter the Trench Systers, the Wicked Tinker, the Walrus King, and the Brothers of the Black Lodge.

"If you love fantasy and adventure fiction then this book is for you. Well written, charmingly detailed and epic, this truly is a must read for 2012." Fantasy Book Review 

Rick Riordan has not only made these characters instant classics, he also has woven an intricately layered story and collision of worlds and cultures and created a sequel worthy of its predecessor. Maintaining your interest and imagination with action, romance, family and comedy Percy Jackson once again is an accomplishment in young adults fiction.

The last installment of the Narnia Chronicles is a dark, twisted and often confusing story that is still highly debated to this date. Dripping with supposed religious allegory and with the dark and often depressing tone it can be quite full on, especially for younger readers.

The first book in the Narnian series to not feature the Pevensie children was an enormous risk for Lewis, but with a strong introduction to Eustace in Voyage Of The Dawn Treader, the book stars Eustace and Jill Pole who find themselves in Narnia after being chased by a group of bullies at their school.

The fifth book in the Chronicles of Narnia sees Edmund and Lucy back in Narnia along with their beastly cousin Eustace. A sea-faring tale that reunites the children with Prince Caspian and Reepicheep the mouse on the voyage to the World's End. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is the second most popular book in the Narnian series and proof that Lewis does not need a big bad enemy or an apocalyptic event to make a Narnian story engaging.

Narnia's freedom is under threat from the evil King Miraz and in desperation Prince Caspian, the rightful heir to the throne, blows the Great Horn to summon Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy back to Narnia.

Bree, the horse, has been kidnapped from Narnia and longs to return there. Shasta, on the verge of being sold into slavery, decides to run away with him in search of the home he's always dreamed of. But the journey is full of surprises and fraught with dangers, and when the companions uncover a treasonous plot, it also becomes a race against time. The Horse And His Boy is an exciting adventure through a different part of Narnia, telling a different kind of story that shows what a true genius CS Lewis, showcasing just how real Narnia was as a country.

Lewis has an outstanding ability to be able to write just enough to give the reader a description of the setting, scene and characters and leave the rest to your imagination. This is a technique that is hard to master and he always manages to pull it off seamlessly. This is one of the best things about his writing technique and makes Wardrobe a lot of fun to read and interpret. Arguably one of the finest stories in English literature from the 20th Century C.S Lewis cemented himself as a master story teller and perfected a novel that would survive the test of time and still entertain and educate children and adults everywhere to this day.

How do you go about reviewing the most beloved books of all time? This is the question I have been asking myself while re-reading the books for the umpteenth time. While these books where big back in the day the main question and direction I wanted to explore is… are they still relevant today?